Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Sana's email about the Hanging Fire Exhibit got me thinking about my bare walls. I'd love to own any or all of the above pieces by popular contemporary artist Salman Farooqi? Aren't they just riveting?

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I received an email from a dear friend Sana Mulji who just got back from NYC. She was there to view her sister, Huma Mulji's collection at the Hanging Fire Exhibit, the first exhibit in the US of Contemporary Pakistani Art. If you are in New York, do visit, it ends January 3, 2010.

I've never been one for zoos. Even though as a child I have vividly fond memories of my parents taking me to the Dubai Zoo and the Al-Ain Zoo. I love animals but I don't like them caged.

Z at Dubai Zoo, Jan 2009

Z loves her an-ee-maws (translate animals), so when we were visiting my parents in Dubai earlier this year, I took her to the zoo. Z, at 9 months, was most excited and babbled to all the an-ee-maws that were awake.

June 05, 2008 - given that we live just 5 minutes away from the Toronto Zoo, A and I decided we'd become members and take her once a week, atleast in the summer. Z loved it. Each time we take her to the zoo, she is animated, excited and bouncing of the walls with energy. It's an exhilarating feeling just watching her. I took her today and here's some of the new associations she made.

mooz

thead and gween birdie (translate red and green bird)

birdie drinking mani ( translate pani, which means water in urdu)

neigh neigh (translate horse)

I'd highly recommend a visit to the Toronto Zoo. It's such a fun way to spend the day!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I came across her work via one of my favourite blogs A Cup of Jo. Her latest book is inspirational-y brilliant, Sioux asked 50 people to draw an area of Paris that they love. She then sketched maps of those areas and photographed each destination. It makes me want to re-visit Paris and use the book as a tour guide. Wouldn't you want to?

Monday, September 21, 2009

A week before Eid, I go in search of paper (even though I have a stock at home), I always buy some new paper on Eid. It's a traditional to give Eidhi (money, instead of a gift) to family and children and each year, I get all excited about creating a new way to present the Eidhi. It has to be pretty ofcourse and childproof.

Here's the paper I purchased for this Eid. I didn't have a chance to get a pic of the envelopes but they did look oh so pretty!

I love Eid - the traditions, the customs, the family, the friends, the food, the eidhi, the gifts. A and I have always celebrated it with passion, trying to create an atmosphere our parents created for us when we were children. It is very different and to a degree, difficult, given that we grew up in Karachi and Dubai.

Since Z was born last year, A and I have tried to create our own family traditions and so Eid this year was ever more exciting. We started the day by going for prayers at the mosque, followed by breakfast with our friends, lunch with my family and dinner with A's family. A and i both have our families here and we're so blessed that Z can spend her holidays with her loved ones.

EId is also about renewal and rejuvenation of the spirit, a time of reflection and resolution. A and I make a list of resolutions every Eid.

This year, we have promised to:
- to make the most of our time
- to cherish each other
- to celebrate each day with Z
- to pursue our dreams; every moment, each day (if it's not something you love, it's not worth doing)
- to not cancel date night and put our relationship first
- to paint silver lines in the clouds
- to smell the flowers
- to go backpacking this year
- to make things happen
- to see the positive, even in the negative
- to find inspiration in simply living
- to make the ordinary, extraordinary...

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

i’ve been meaning to blog since the day i felt i had a little baby growing inside me. it was a momentous moment. my body clock changed and i would wake up at 6AM every morning despite the late nights that accompanied us that summer. it was a busy summer; we had just bought a house, gutted the interiors and were working within tight budgets to get it complete. and it was FUN but it was hard, between work, house guests and family. i was consuming 6 cups of coffee on average a day, eating poorly and inhaling all sorts of unhealthy fumes. i was paranoid that i had permanently damaged you.

but you were beautiful and healthy and.. the epitome of perfection. i was not very maternal during my pregnancy and i was worried that those were signs of lack of interest in motherhood, but i promise you, from the moment i lay eyes on you, when i felt you in my arms, i just wanted to mother you forever. and ever. and ever. and nothing else in between.

and today, i celebrate spending the best 18 months of my life. with you. because of you.

i want to thank you for giving my life meaning. for making it real.you make me want to strive to be the best, in every facet of lifeyou make my every day worthwhileyou are my sunshine

i love the way you say things – amma, abba, purple, blue, green, dada, dadi, nana, nani, mamo, mimi, wawa, chachi, chacha, apa, aamena, elmo (all one after the other in one breath)..you try to repeat everything i say and i love the way you pick up atleast 3 new words a day.

what’s this? you want to know what everything is. your curiosity with even the smallest of things fascinates me.

i am so amazed that you are so sensitive and so loving and incredibly thoughtful…and so to celebrate our 18 months, below are 18 things i absolutely adore about you:

i love that you say hi to every living and non-living thing. hevo flowver, hi jus.

i love that you love animals - that you refer to each animal by the sound they make. for you cow is moo moo, sheep is baa baa and horse is neigh neigh. that you squeal with excitement every time you see the animal, whether it be a picture in the book, at the zoo or on tv.

i love that you are happier outdoors

i love the way you kiss me, hug me and love me – if i could spend each moment of my life just holding you, i would…

i love that you love to get your hands dirty

i love that you like to draw

i love the way way you walk – waddle.

i love your love for music and dance

i love how you, being with you, reminds me of my childhood

i love how you love being with me and at times with no one else (yes, i admit, i am an attached parent!)

i love how you run to me when i come home

i love waking up each day next to you

i love the twinkle in your eye when you are sitting on the swing

i love our everyday walks

i love our silent conversations

i love the person i’ve become because of you

i cannot wait for tomorrow. and the day after. with youlife with you is an adventure. fun. laughter. giggles. love. smiles. excitement. surprise.

ABOUT ME

Having lived on three continents and with a desire to live on more, I love stories, cultures, histories and all things old and beautiful. This blog is a diary of my works, inspirations and musings.
Thanks for visiting!